Program Operations Manual System (POMS)

A. Exhibit Letter — RRB Jurisdiction of Survivor Claim

Our records show that *F1 worked for the railroad industry. If a person is insured
under the Railroad Retirement Act at the time of death, the Railroad Retirement Board
is responsible for handling survivor claims. The amount of benefits the Railroad Retirement
Board pays is based on the combined Social Security and railroad earnings. If a survivor
annuity or a lump-sum death payment can be paid under the Railroad Retirement Act,
no lump-sum death payment or monthly benefit can be paid to the survivor under the
Social Security Act based on the same earnings. This is true even though that person
was also insured under Social Security. Because of this rule, *F2 *F3 only entitled
to the Railroad Retirement annuity.

If the Railroad Retirement Board has not already contacted *F4 concerning *F5 benefits,
they will be doing so in the near future.

If You have Any Questions

3901C – Domestic

3901D – Foreign

Fill-Ins:

*F1-1 railroad worker’s name

*F2-1 you

*F2-2 beneficiary’s name

*F3-1 are

*F3-2 is

*F4-1 you

*F4-2 beneficiary’s name

*F5-1 your

*F5-2 his

*F5-3 her

B. Process – RRB Jurisdiction of Survivor Claim

When RRB determines that they have jurisdiction of the survivor benefits, we terminate
the beneficiary’s survivor benefits (LAF TO) and send a letter to the beneficiary
to notify him/her that SSA will not pay any survivor benefits. A special notice should
be sent to the survivor beneficiary explaining why we are terminating payment.